‘Insights Into Your Digestive Health’

These days, digestive issues are rampant and they affect millions of people. It is possible that everyone is affected in some way!

These digestive issues are likely linked closely to the bacteria who reside in your gut. There are somewhere between 30 and 50 trillion bacteria in your body, most of which are in your intestines. Collectively, they are known as your gut microbiota. In fact the gut microbiota have such intricate roles and functions they are sometimes referred to as the ‘second brain’.

Research in the gut health space has been exploding over the past 10 years. Although there are still many unanswered questions, huge advances have been made. Many studies have now shown that a disrupted microbiota can affect numerous chronic diseases including Type 2 diabetes, obesity, liver disease and mental health. Links between gut health and disease are the focus of much investigation right now.

And most importantly, the food that you eat greatly affects the types of bacteria that live inside you, making it crucial to realize that what you put in there has long-term effects on your health and wellbeing. So what is the best way to maintain a healthy microbiota?

Objectives Of This Webinar:

This talk is intended to provide you with insights into the importance of nutrition and gut health including recent research findings and observations on, for example, probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, FOMDAPs and other interesting fascinating relationships between nutrition and the workings of the gut. This may help you in your daily life or simply make you think more about what foods you are eating and how they could be affecting your body.

Topics covered include:

1. What is all the fuss about the gut about?
2. What we know about the relationship between gut bacteria and health
3. How do we know what dietary advice to believe?
4. How can you improve your gut health?
   1. Diet
   2. Fermented foods
   3. Probiotics – do they work?
   4. Prebiotics – what are they?
5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
   1. What are normal bowel habits versus those with IBS?
   2. Is the microbiome affected in IBS?
   3. Can probiotics help?
   4. Low FODMAP Diet & IBS
   5. Other bowel conditions
6. Take Home Messages.

Speaker:

Lorraine Maher holds a BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition from University of Ulster and an MSc in Dietetics from Caledonian University, Glasgow. She has a wealth of nutrition and dietetic knowledge and experience. She works in Blackrock Clinic as their Clinical Dietitian and has a special interest in gut health, especially the dietary management of IBS. She co-authored of ‘Gut Feeling’, a low FODMAP reference and cookbook for IBS, published by Gill Books in March 2017. Lorraine is a member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) and the Gastrointestinal Interest Group.

Category of CPD:	Category B / A
Duration:	0.85 Hours